CHAPTER 14:

NAMES AND OFFERS

Names, titles, and appellations are important. To such things can be appended fame or infamy, spreading your reputation so that people may react accordingly. This strange, Hero-obsessed society was no different. If anything, it was even more important.

In suggesting the name of 'Sarafan' to Izuku shortly after he passed the entrance exam to UA, I wanted to rehabilitate that name. In my second life, the Sarafan were our foes. Initially, in my life as a wraith, it was something to idolise when I realised the true nature of our heritage. Then, I realised that the Sarafan, as Kain claimed to me, were little more than self-righteous fools, slaughtering all vampires at the behest of the Circle of Nine. Little wonder that Vorador slew so many of the Circle, and ironically, I was the one responsible for my own death, as well as that of my past and future brethren.

But in this world, Sarafan can mean hope, not fear. Izuku could become a paragon, a paladin of hope. And I have to admit, it would act as a slap in the face to Kain. We may have become allies, true, but I still feel a certain petty desire for revenge against him for everything he put me through. Being bound to Izuku, I do need to take some pleasure in the small things in life…

Izuku stared at the sheer amount of offers he had been given. He, Bakugou, Shouto and Tenya all got a lot of offers. Okay, Izuku got pretty far in the Sports Festival, but still…he gaped at the numbers Aizawa was showing them. He wondered if Janos was amongst them.

Tenya seemed to be, if not wholly recovered, less distraught. Izuku resolved to speak with him later. However, they were apparently going to pick Hero names, and Midnight was called in as a consultant. As he wrote his, he looked at Tenya. His fellow student seemed to be struggling to think of a name. "…Tenya?" he asked. "Are you trying to think of a name?"

Tenya started on Izuku noticing it, and said, "Sorry…it's nothing."

"Well…I have a couple of ideas. I'd choose something like Mercury or Hermes, but other Pro-Heroes have chosen that. Ditto Turbo or Marathon. Though…hmm, that's an idea. What do you know of the origins of the marathon, Tenya?"

"…I believe it was in Ancient Greece. A messenger was sent to run messages back and forth between Athens and a battle at Marathon, I think."

"Yes. I know the name of the man. I looked it up once. Phillippides…well, Pheidippides, but…does that help?"

"I'm sorry, Midoriya…I mean, Izuku, but I…no."

"…Do you want to talk about it?"

Tenya seemed about to shake his head, before he eventually said, "Later."

Izuku nodded. He wondered how Himiko and Hitoshi were doing with their own class. He hoped his suggestion to Himiko, Sanguine, got accepted when it came to be her turn. He groaned at Bakugou's choice of title: King Explosion Murder. What kind of Hero would have the name 'Murder' in it? He found Midnight's veto of 'Alien Queen' for Mina Ashido more puzzling, but he put his hand up, and he was soon selected by the sexy teacher.

As he stood there at the head of the class, he said, "All of you, save for Midnight, have seen Raziel and Ariel, the spirits residing within the Reaver. It was Raziel who suggested this name to me. Where they came from, this name was one that inspired fear…but they want me to use this name to inspire hope. My skillset may seem a bit dark, but ultimately, it will be used to help others. So, this is me."

He held up the small whiteboard, which had Nosgothic Hero: Sarafan on it, the latter in both katakana and English lettering, while the former was in English. Midnight raised an eyebrow. "Nosgothic? Gothic coming from English, but Nosgothic? Well, it's an interesting name, and rather mysterious, and I reckon it'll be pretty catchy."

"Ask Dr Audron about it," Izuku said to her, and she nodded.

He took note of some of the other ones. Oddly enough, Shouto and Tenya eventually used their own names. He liked Tsuyu's name, Froppy: a bit childish, but reassuring. Ochako's choice of Uravity was interesting. Kirishima's choice of name, Red Riot, got Izuku's interest, given that it was a homage to Crimson Riot. Tokoyami had called himself Tsukoyomi, after the deity, while Kyouka had called herself Earphone Jack.

Soon, they finished (with Bakugou taking an inordinately long time before he finally plumped for Ground Zero, which was actually quite good, Izuku conceded), and they were left to peruse their offers. Izuku scanned the lists of Pro-Hero Agencies. He noted that Janos was one of them, and that would be a useful fallback. Endeavour's agency was there, but Izuku refused to consider that. He'd have some time to consider who to intern under. While Janos was a possibility, he wanted to learn under someone new if possible. Hmm, decisions, decisions…

During lunch, Izuku wrangled Tenya up to the roof of UA, or at least one of the buildings. Raziel, in particular, had been most insistent on it, and Izuku had asked the others not to follow. He hoped they wouldn't.

Tenya looked at Izuku. "…Midoriya…Izuku…why have you brought me up here?"

"Because I asked him to, Tenya Iida," Raziel said, materialising. "I feared I saw something in your eyes I did not like. I have seen it in my own eyes."

"And what is that?"

"Vengeance." As Tenya scowled, Raziel held up a hand. "…Please listen to my story first, Tenya Iida. While Izuku has told you some part of our story, he has not told you all of it. I consider you to be a virtuous-enough person to entrust with the truth of our story. If you need verification, speak to Janos Audron. However, I ask that you not speak about it to anyone else, barring either a teacher, or else Himiko or Hitoshi."

Izuku nodded. Raziel had consulted with him about this beforehand. He did want to tell Ochako, Tsuyu, and some of the others he trusted about this eventually, but Tenya was the most urgent.

Tenya, after a moment, conceded this. "I'll listen. But what do you mean?"

Raziel spread his hands wide. "Izuku was, by necessity, economical with the truth. It is true that Ariel and I are bound to his soul as part of the Soul Reaver. But the pair of us, along with Janos Audron and Kain, come from another world, one that, to you, seems from the pages of a fantasy novel. Nosgoth."

Even so, Izuku let Raziel (and Ariel, who appeared at intervals during the talk) take the lead in explaining the history behind them. How they were not technically a Quirk, but rather, part of a living weapon, bound to Izuku's soul. In brief, they explained the struggle between the Ancient Vampires and the Hylden, as well as how Kain figured into things.

And then, it was Izuku's turn, to confess what the Soul Reaver did to the mugger, and to the Nomu. To their credit, while Tenya, who'd only heard the minimum of his abilities was horrified, there was little condemnation. Just shock, and thoughtfulness.

"…I see," Tenya said. "But what does this have to do with me?"

"I too have walked a path of vengeance, as has Kain," Raziel said. "But what did my revenge cost me? I did not see Kain's greater game, and my desire for vengeance blinded me to the manipulations of the Hylden and the Elder God until it was too late. Kain himself desired revenge, blinding himself to Mortanius and Morbius' machinations until it was too late. In addition, Stain has already murdered or crippled a number of powerful Pro-Heroes, many of whom are more experienced than you are. To attempt any sort of revenge as you are now is to invite your demise, Tenya. Do you truly believe that your righteous wrath would overcome the difference in strength and experience between you and Stain? If you do, then you are a greater fool than I thought you were. You have every right to be angry, to be filled with righteous wrath. But do not let it lead you to an open grave."

Tenya subsided into silence, but Izuku wasn't sure whether that was the end of it. Eventually, he said, "I'll consider your words, Raziel. And thank you, Izuku, for confessing to what must be a painful memory."

"It's fine. I'll try and tell the others soon. I mean, Ochako, Tsuyu, Tokoyami, Kyoka, and Shouto. And if nothing else…talk to Janos. He's a good listener."

"…I may avail myself of that," Tenya said.

Soon, the school day had ended, and while Izuku and Himiko were walking together on the way out of the school, they were bearded by All Might, who brought them into his office. Once he was sure things were secure, he allowed himself to shrink into his emaciated form. "I didn't get to say it as much during the Sports Festival, but good job, both of you. You did very well with your respective abilities, and I am glad that the next generation is in good hands. Did you watch the rest of the Sports Festival?"

"I had Mum record it," Izuku said. "I saw that Togata guy you gave One for All to. He seems pretty skilled…even if his Quirk is…well…"

"His Quirk is Intangible Streaker," Himiko snickered, having watched that part of Izuku's recording. "And he looks like Tintin from those old Belgian comics. Still…he's enthusiastic, I'll give you that."

"More than that. Sir Nighteye chose him well," Toshinori said. "His character seems utterly without reproach. A bit flamboyant, but those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Nana would have been proud." His face fell, and he looked away.

"Nana…she was your mentor, right?" Izuku asked.

"One of a couple of them, but yes. I…I recently learned something rather disturbing about her. But…maybe I should tell you, but on the proviso that you tell nobody else. Janos and the Fallen are aware of it, and Young Hitoshi can be told about it, but…beyond that…it's the subject of an ongoing investigation, and I don't need you jeopardising it. Janos had a hunch during the USJ, a hypothesis that is bearing fruit. You see, Nana, afraid of the safety of her son, gave him up to foster care, but he became a bitter and resentful individual who abused his family, including a son who wished to become a Pro-Hero himself. Said son awoke a destructive Quirk, and when his father's abuse became too much, the son's Quirk reduced his family to dust. His birthname was Tenko Shimura, the grandson of my predecessor. But you saw him, or someone who could be him, at the USJ, Young Izuku."

Izuku felt a chill run down his spine when he joined the dots. "Tomura Shigaraki. His Quirk, it could destroy things he touched with his hands."

"Exactly. It's only a theory, but Janos and I have compared photos of Tenko prior to his disappearance with our memories of Tomura…and we believe it's the same person. If All for One was holding Tomura's leash, then…"

"That's a twisted idea of a joke," Himiko mused grimly, her face twisted into a snarl. "I mean, All for One turns your mentor's grandson into his puppet. How's that for irony?"

"It's ironic, but it's no joke I'd be laughing at," Toshinori said. "I did bring you here on a related note, at least as far as my mentors are concerned. Before the Sports Festival, I spoke to another mentor of mine. Now, ideally, I'd ask him to train the three of you, but Aizawa's decided to train Young Hitoshi. Now, you are free to reject this offer, as I am sure there are plenty of others, but I'd like you to consider his own."

"And who is he?" Izuku asked.

"Gran Torino."

Himiko snorted. "Really? Some superhero named himself after a Clint Eastwood film? What was he smoking?"

"Don't you dare say that to his face!" Toshinori hissed urgently, not angrily, but fearfully, oddly enough. "Look, he's getting old…but he could probably hand my rear to me if he wanted to."

Izuku frowned as he tried to think about Gran Torino. Eventually, he remembered something, one of the older Pro-Heroes, pre-All Might (his knowledge of that era was admittedly minimal). He'd studied a video on Janos' suggestion. "Gran Torino…real name, Sorahiko Torino. Quirk: Jet Feet, allowing him to fire compressed air through his feet and thus move at high speed. He's your mentor?"

"He also used to be a teacher here. My teacher, to be precise. He even became principal for a time," Toshinori said. "The offer's open, you don't have to accept it. And if you want advice on your offers, feel free to ask. I've worked with many Pro-Heroes across Japan, and I'd like to think I can give you advice on whether they'd suit your abilities, or what they have to teach you. Janos can also help. I know you two respect his opinions, and he knows Gran Torino too. Both were there the last time I clashed with All for One."

"I'll consider it," Izuku said. "Do you mind if I ask Janos for advice?"

"Sure. But…regardless, know that I am proud of you both, and of Young Hitoshi…and really, both of your classes. Still…Stain's attack on Ingenium has cast a pall over this." At this, the emaciated Pro-Hero frowned. "Ingenium's crippling and the attack on a Detnerat employee has brought more attention to Stain and his manifesto. And so soon after the USJ invasion…there's blood in the water, and the sharks are circling. God knows what'll happen if he ever manages to rant about things on TV or on social media, on the more public areas of the internet. It feels like the end of an era is coming…and the next one may not be a good one."

"There is a magical operation of maximum importance: the Initiation of a New Aeon," Raziel said, appearing. "When it becomes necessary to utter a Word, the whole Planet must be bathed in blood. This was a quote from a magical text Kain once had in his possession. I learned from Janos that an occultist of this world known as Aleister Crowley spoke the same words(1). My meaning, however, is different from what they mean. A new era is often heralded by bloody conflict. When you finally retire, those who skulk about in the shadows, afraid of you, will emerge into the light once more, as we have discussed before."

"I know. And that time may be coming sooner than we want. But…I want you to be prepared. A storm is coming…and we'll need every Pro-Hero we can to weather it…"

CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:

So, there you go. Have Izuku and Raziel managed to dissuade Tenya from his vengeance? Plus, Izuku's name makes its debut!

As mentioned before, this may be the last chapter for this story posted for the year. The next one, I need to do some fact-checking for…

1. The recitation comes from the beginning of the original Blood Omen. I was genuinely surprised to find that it was a quote from Crowley…